All Running Archives - The Running Mann

9th January 20259th January 2025

2024 Marathon & Ultra Statistics

This article provides detailed statistics and analysis of South Africa’s 2024 marathon and ultra road running season.

Total Events

There were a total of 129 events, comprising 106 standard marathons, 22 ultras and 1 combo (Benoni Northerns which offered a marathon and a 48k). This is 10 more than the pre-Covid number and the highest since I’ve been tracking marathons. On a personal note, I still have 29 (plus whatever new marathons arise in 2025 to run).

There were 16 new races (marathon unless otherwise noted): Air Force Base Makhado, Mapungubwe, Johannesburg City, Festival of Running, Gazamed, Lemo Mall, Nedbank Coastal Marathon, Musina, Mpumalanga, Masingita Mall, Makhuduthamaga Mayor’s, Fetakgomo Tubatse, Midvaal MADMAC, Waterberg, Hope Challenge and NRB Harriers Challenge.

31st December 202431st December 2024

The Running Mann’s Guide to January 2025 Marathons

This article provides detailed information on all South Africa’s January 2025 marathons including race descriptions and recommendations. You can find the full 2025 marathon / ultra calendar here.

A summary of your choices is below:

18th December 202418th December 2024

Bluff Marathon (Ruff and Tuff with zero Fluff)

[MARATHON #276 / UNIQUE MARATHON #169 / 17 November 2024]

When someone introduces you to a friend or acquaintance with the caveat, “They’re from the Bluff”, this is a warning. It’s the equivalent of cautioning a friendly stranger that, “My dog bites!”

When you tell someone that you are running the Bluff Marathon, they recoil and give you a similar cautionary look – and whatever statement follows indicates, “That marathon bites!”

With 275 marathons under my belt, I decided it was finally time to see whether I could bite off more than I could chew at the Bluff Marathon – or whether this brutal route would chew me up and spit me out (or, as this is a double-lap course, I guess you could call that a case of “once bitten, twice shy”).

I had been told a lot about the Bluff. Some descriptions fail to live up to expectations. However, it took just a two-second scan of the Fynnlands Sports Club bar (which was also the registration venue and doubles as the Bluff AC clubhouse) to realise that the “Rough and tough and from Bluff” mantra was not propaganda. In fact, if anything the slogan is underhyped. Wearing baggies and a T-shirt, I was probably the most overdressed male at the venue (and by far the least tattooed). You’ll have to take my word for it as I was not about to take an unsolicited photograph and risk someone taking offence.

The Fynnlands Sports Club doubles as the Bluff AC clubhouse (they only serve doubles here – Coke mixer strictly optional).

11th December 202411th December 2024

Lies, Damn Lies & Two Oceans Press Releases (Has the Chair embellished her running and professional CV?)

Earlier this year, the Two Oceans Marathon (TOM) issued a media release, “New Chair and Vice Chair to head up TOM NPC as appointment of board is finalised”. Shortly afterwards I received a tip off from a credible source who prefers to remain anonymous that the announcement contained several inaccuracies on the qualifications and running pedigree of new Chairperson Toni Cavanagh.

8th December 20248th December 2024

Comrades 2024: Women’s Elite Stats

All Time Fastest Up Times & Pace

The tables below show the all-time women’s Comrades Up run pace and time charts. I place more emphasis on pace (especially as we had the shortest ever Comrades distance this year).

34-year-old Gerda Steyn replaces 29-year-old Gerda Steyn at the top of the table. Just how much better is Gerda than any other female on the Up run? An incredible 10.42 seconds per kilometre!

5th December 20245th December 2024

Comrades 2024: Men’s Elite Stats

All Time Fastest Up Times & Pace

The tables below show the all-time Comrades Up run pace and time charts. I place more emphasis on pace (especially as we had the shortest ever Comrades distance this year).

Piet Wiersma and Dan Moselakwe both crack the Top 10 whilst Degefa Lafebo secures 15^th. Joseph Manyedi and Andrew Davies also make it into the Top 30. Whilst 2024 sees the most finishers (5) in the Top 30, I’d still make a case for the 2000 being the most competitive men’s Up run of all time followed by 1998.

23rd November 202423rd November 2024

Product Review: Boonies sunglasses

I am not sure whether Theo Pretorius saw one of my finish line photos and thought that I needed a sunglasses upgrade or whether he was just concerned for my safety when running in KwaZulu Natal and wanted to give me more anonymity. Regardless, he popped me a message saying that his company has just launched a new running sunglasses brand called Boonies together with the offer, “Would you like to try a couple of pairs?”

The Boonies range comes in three attractive styles and enough lens colours to pair with any club running kit.

14th November 202414th January 2025

Complete 2025 South African Road Marathon & Ultra Calendar

This article contains high level details and, where available, flyers, profiles and route maps for every 2025 South African road marathon and ultra. Updates will be made regularly as races are added, cancelled and confirmed.

The 2025 calendar is brought to you by RaceSpace – the app that has every running and endurance event in the country at your fingertips. RaceSpace are covering some of my marathon running travel costs in 2025 – you can support me and the site by downloading the RaceSpace app on Apple, Android or by using the QR Code below.

13th November 202413th November 2024

The 2023 Marathon & Ultra Statistics

This article provides statistics and analysis of South Africa’s 2023 marathon and ultra road running season. Comparisons are made to 2019 (pre-Covid) and 2022 (first full post-Covid season).

Total Events

There were a total of 114 events, comprising 93 standard marathons and 23 ultras and. This is just below the 2019 number of 119 events but a big increase from the 2022 number of 99 events.

9th November 202410th November 2024

MadMac Marathon (a cure for coulrophobia)

[MARATHON #274 / UNIQUE MARATHON #168 / 6 October 2024]

Between Comrades and Two Oceans, I have spent a lot of time this year writing about clowns. You could say I was acquiring a severe case of coulrophobia – which is of course the fear of clowns. However, I seem to have developed a unique strain called antici-coulrophobia – which is a fear about what the aforementioned clowns will do or say next (and then I have to spend a great deal of time writing about it).

Fortunately, I was confident that I could find a 100% successful cure for extreme antici-coulrophobia by facing my fears head on and self-medicating at the clown-themed MadMac Marathon. The theme was chosen as the race venue is the site of the old Boswell Wilkie Circus in Randvaal and there is still plenty of circus apparatus and remnants of the now defunct circus around.